This story is made of one-shots about Itachi and Sasuke. Most of them will be premassacre. And a little bit ItaSasu later on.

1. Nightmare

In the cover of night, as the moon was floating on the sky, a little child turned around in his bed restlessly.

"No... no", he whispered shakily. He was crouched up to a ball under the covers, hugging himself tightly. He whined in his sleep and some tears escaped his eyes as he snapped them open, gasping for dear life as he groggily woke up. Sasuke Uchiha had had a nightmare again.

Suddenly, he froze when he heard a sound in the perfectly quiet house. His bedroom door was slightly open and it was brighter in the hallway; moonlight shone into the rooms through the windows. He heard the sound again, this time a bit closer.

That noise... it sounded like slow footsteps, and they seemed to be echoing through the rooms, into his own. He knew that both his brother and his parents were at home and asleep, but what if one of them were sleepwalking?

"Mom?" he called out with a weak, scared voice.

No answer.

The slow, heavy footsteps continued to sound as they went over the wooden floor. They approached his door, and Sasuke's heart raced. He was terrified; he sensed that this person was not anyone from his family. He hid himself under his blanket, almost too afraid to even breath, and waited with all his senses alert.

The door opened and he could hear heavy breathing and an unfamiliar smell - was it alcohol? he wondered. By now, he was trembling and ice-cold from fear.

"You..." A harsh male voice spoke out. "Turhn...arhounhd..."

Sasuke did as he was told, too afraid to refuse. He just saw a tall man standing there with a knife in his hand, before he turned around again and shut his eyes close.

He screamed. A high, ear-splitting loud sound of deepest fear. He didn't even care that his dad would be disappointed with him if he saw how helpless and scared he was right now. I'm going to die, his mind told him, that man is going to kill me!

Over the sound of his own loud heartbeats pounding all the way up in his head he could hear the man take a few further steps towards him, before a loud thud was heard. The six-year-old Sasuke could just wait in his bed and clutch the sheets helplessly as he heard more sounds.

He buried his face in his pillow but he could tell that something was happening in his room - it sounded like something, or somebody was violently slammed into the wall or the floor. He could hear strangled pants and shouts... as if there was a minor fight. And so the sound of something, probably a kunai, which flew through the air and the awful sound of skin that was violently pierced...

And silence.

Sasuke was trembling violently but he didn't feel any pain, so he could assume to himself that he had not been the target for whoever was in his room. He heard lighter footsteps coming towards his bed now. Just when he thought that he couldn't take it anymore, a familiar, worried but somehow strained voice called out:

"Sasuke?"

His whole being relaxed upon hearing that voice. Itachi gently ripped his blanket of him, exposing his scared and still trembling little body.

"Are you alright?"

Sasuke nodded weakly. Then he noticed the smell of blood and he looked up at his brother who was leaning over him.

"N-nii-san? What...happened? A-ar-are you hurt?"

Itachi, who recently had turned thirteen, lifted Sasuke up in his arms bridal style.

"I'm fine. Don't worry, otouto. He won't come back. But you'll sleep with me for tonight, though."

"Why, aniki?" Sasuke asked as he was being carried to his brother's room through the darkness.

"I want to make sure that you won't get hurt", Itachi reassured him lightly, although there was something darker in his voice. With a slight wince, Sasuke recognized it as maliciousness. Itachi tried to hide it, but this time his facade was unsteady. He was furious, no, murderous.

"I didn't mean that" - Sasuke yawned involuntary - "Why won't he come back, nii-san? Who was he?"

His older brother gritted his teeth. "I don't know, otouto. Some madman, who had broken into our house. He probably intended to steal something, but was drawn to your room." The prodigy had already understood the course of events.

"Did you kill him, nii-san?" Sasuke wondered as Itachi entered his room. He could sense that something like that had happened, because of the violently sounds, the sudden silence and the fact that Itachi himself was unhurt.

"...Yes."

Itachi's voice was emotionless. Sasuke knew that he hated to bring harm to other people, except in certain cases. Maybe this was one of them.

"What was I supposed to do when a villain threats my little brother?" he growled, angry upon remembering the event.

He gently placed Sasuke on his bed, closest to the wall. "I'll be right back otouto. I'll just make sure there's no other out there."

Sasuke snuggled under the covers and inhaled the soothing and comforting scent of his Nii-san. He loved that smell. He felt so safe when he was in Itachi's presence or something that belonged to him. But he still was tense and shocked from the unpleasant experience.

He gave a slight start when a warm hand was placed on his back, but it was just his brother's. The elder laid down beside him.
He wrapped the warm covers around them and Sasuke nuzzled his chest, gripping his big brother's shirt tightly. Itachi hugged his little sibling gently and held him close against him to give him comfort. He could feel Sasuke's tense little body slowly relaxing and his breathing turn slower.

"Thank you, nii-san", the younger boy whispered. Itachi himself was calmer now when he had his little brother close to him. No one could hurt Sasuke now.

"Not at all, otouto. You can sleep in peace, I'm here." He kissed his brother's forehead. And Sasuke fell asleep in his Itachi's arms, perfectly sheltered.

When morning came, ever so smoothly and bright, Sasuke woke up after a peaceful night. He rushed to his room - was it true that his Nii-san had killed the man who had tried to harm him?

But there was no blood on the floor, no corpse. Little Sasuke was confused.

"Nii-san?" he asked his brother who came in after him.

"Yes?"

"What happened to the man who was here this night?"

"Who?" Itachi asked confused, tilting his head to the side. "Was somebody here?"

"Yes... you know, he who tried to hurt me?"

At first Itachi looked upset, then his facial expression softened and he laughed a bit.

"Foolish little otouto", he smiled and poked Sasuke's forehead, "It was only a dream, don't you remember? You screamed in middle of the night because you had a nightmare, and I carried you to my bed."

"A nightmare? Nothing more?" Sasuke asked wide-eyed. Itachi smiled at his brother's cuteness.

"Yes, otouto. It was just a nightmare. But no matter if it would happen for real or in your mind - I would still protect you."

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This was chapter 1 of my 10 oneshots! I already have the most of them planned, there can be more than 10 in the end ;) Hope you liked it!

Please review and tell me what you think!